Is anyone allowed into vets with their pet?

[freedomontheway]

My elderly pooch is slowing down somewhat. She has a slight mitral valve prolapse and I'm guessing it's worsening. She's not uncomfortable as such just struggling on walks a little.
My vets has a blanket ban on owners going in with their pets to the surgery due to Covid
They explain that they don't have adequate ventilation in the room.
I've asked what they will do about this and they don't seem to have a plan except to keep owners out for the foreseeable future.
What are other people's vets doing?

Mine is just animals going inside too...

I understand why - it’s a small building with small rooms and they also only have a small team of staff, so if they have to self isolate they’ll have to close.

But... I’ve got a very nervous rescue and he’s having to go in alone, so I can’t do things like pop in and weigh him and go in for a check up to get him used to going - which means I’m now going to have to muzzle train him instead and it’s likely he’ll always have an issue with the vet, which is pretty far from ideal.

I get why, but it’s still frustrating.

Can I ask any vets on here, how are you managing social distancing with large animals , farm animals etc.? A cow in a difficult labour say, or a valuable horse, perhaps a racehorse? Can you cope alone with a large cow without the help of the farmer? Or a highly strung horse without a groom or the owner? Do you take a young veterinary nurse along who isn’t used to such situations, do two or more have to attend one call out?
Just interested.

Vivainsomnia, you just said you’ve had two vaccinations for weeks now. As several of us have said, that doesn’t yet apply to most of the veterinary workforce, many of whom won’t have had one vaccination yet but may still have vulnerable relatives. You see one vet, but she sees maybe thirty people during a full day, so that’s quite a lot of risk in an unventilated room. I’d be happy to see people inside 3 weeks after my second vaccination, and I’d expect things will go back to normal everywhere once most staff are in the same position .
Personally, I like dealing with people and have been talking to everyone in the car park. The reason I made the comment about many animals being calmer without owners was to reassure people who are worried that their animals will be distressed without them. Some are, of course, but it’s been much less of a problem than I’d expected and is actually easier with many cats, in particular.
Those of us who work in the field have posted here to try to explain why things are as they are and why they vary. The reason most veterinary staff are so young is that so many leave because they find the job too stressful and have to walk away from what was their dream. This has been an awful time for everyone, but really most vets on the ground are just trying to do their best in a situation that can’t be ideal however you handle it.

Dark lane, I don’t work with large animals but I think that early on people were doing stuff socially distanced - there was a video circulating of a vet doing a cow Caesarian unaided, for example. Much less of a problem though for large animals as there is much better ventilation outside or in farm buildings and far fewer people around than a small animal clinic.

It was handover at the door when my cat went for her annual jabs and health check. She was a bit pissed off but not upset or anything. But she loves the vet and enjoys having a good nose around when there so it's going to be a very different experience than an animal who's nervous.

@Darklane - Conveniently, the length of a cow is just right for social distancing. So, with the farmer at the head end, and the vet at the other, you've got a low risk situation. Most large animal work is done in airy buildings, or outside, and so are by their nature lower-risk. Also, in my opinion, farmers on the whole are life's natural social distancers.

@vivainsomnia - You are correct that the vet is more likely to be a risk to you than you are to her. That is because she is seeing maybe 20-30 clients a day, plus contact with other staff, plus whatever contact she has outside of work.
I certainly have days when I'd rather not deal with humans at all, I thought everyone did(?!), but we've done all our talking out in the carpark, rain or shine.

My vets isn’t letting anyone in. I took my mums dog to a different vet for her and was allowed in but they had a good set up for it. I was sat in a room opposite with the door open so the vet could talk while doing the examination.

landofgiants bit of a generalisation saying farmers are natural social distancers & I do know about farm buildings having been raised on one ,
large livestock farm & living on another now. Even so there are times when we’ve found an extra hand is vital to the vet. Do you personally do call outs to farms with large livestock? Some of our bulls particularly can be difficult one handed & prone to take offence at having a vet they are not completely at ease with taking personal liberties

@Darklane Reassuring a pissed off bull should be an exemption to distancing. Definitely running shoes on 😂

It doesn't really matter if you don't go in though? Your pet is still getting the same outcome. Of being treated? I just don't understand people getting worked up about this. I work in a vet surgery. We haven't been classed as networkers or anything. Many of us haven't had one vaccine, let alone two. Our surgery closed in November as a load of us got covid.
Never want it again thanks (they're still not sure about antibodies).
If a hairdresser shuts, people just don't get they're hair cut? Not as big of a deal, than poor little Fifi not been treated in an emergency, as we've had to close.
I can't believe people cannot see this. And like others have said, we would come into close contact with lots of people throughout the day. Very close. Clients would have to fully ppe themselves like us. Can't see many being happy with that.
Your pets are still being treated. Just get on with it.

*key workers!

@sunshineandshowers21

i had to take my cat in today and i had to take him into a room and leave him and then wait outside whilst the vet called me on the phone. he ultimately had to be put to sleep and i was allowed into the room to hold him and the vet stood outside the room and injected the medicine into an long tube so that she didn’t have to stand close to me.

That is totally ridiculous

@Ladylimpet if you really can’t understand why people would want to stay with their pet then I think you are in the wrong job , to me it’s like taking a baby to the Dr / hospital and saying off you go then and call me when you’ve had a look and I can’t see many people being happy with that . I am my dogs advocate in the same way as I would be for a non speaking child .

“It doesn't really matter if you don't go in though? Your pet is still getting the same outcome. Of being treated?”

Actually... no, he’s not... they can’t examine him. I mean sure in an emergency they could sedate him, but that’s not ideal for minor things.

I understand why my vet is doing it, but that doesn’t make it less frustrating.

@Ladylimpet

It doesn't really matter if you don't go in though? Your pet is still getting the same outcome. Of being treated? I just don't understand people getting worked up about this. I work in a vet surgery. We haven't been classed as networkers or anything. Many of us haven't had one vaccine, let alone two. Our surgery closed in November as a load of us got covid. Never want it again thanks (they're still not sure about antibodies). If a hairdresser shuts, people just don't get they're hair cut? Not as big of a deal, than poor little Fifi not been treated in an emergency, as we've had to close. I can't believe people cannot see this. And like others have said, we would come into close contact with lots of people throughout the day. Very close. Clients would have to fully ppe themselves like us. Can't see many being happy with that. Your pets are still being treated. Just get on with it.

This post is unkind and totally lacking in empathy or showing any understanding of the issues that are being dealt with.

I would be happy to wear full PPE if that was the answer but it is not.

Our experience has been that we are not getting the same outcome and level of care.

I totally support the need to keep the vets safe.

Covid has made their job extremely hard and in the same way that the NHS care has suffered so has veterinary care. Noone's fault necessarily but it is wrong to say otherwise.

No, I don't understand it. I'd just be grateful that they are getting treated tbh. Like most of our lovely clients seem to understand too. Why make it more difficult for people when we're trying to keep people safe. Beyond me.

My vets is still not allowing owners in but they do consult with you over the phone or in the car park. One of my dogs required a lot of visits last year between Sept to Jan and it worked ok. I was unhappy with the outcome of her treatment (but she may have been very unlucky as the vet repeatedly said). My vets have expanded into a larger premises and I do think they now tend to over prescribe, multiple antibiotics over extended periods compared with the information sheet etc IME and if challenged they will alter this.

I will stay with them for now as I've used them for over 20 years and found them ok and they are local to me.

@Ladylimpet

No, I don't understand it. I'd just be grateful that they are getting treated tbh. Like most of our lovely clients seem to understand too. Why make it more difficult for people when we're trying to keep people safe. Beyond me.

You do realise that vets are not a free service , I don’t need to be grateful as I am the one paying the bills .

@Ladylimpet

No, I don't understand it. I'd just be grateful that they are getting treated tbh. Like most of our lovely clients seem to understand too. Why make it more difficult for people when we're trying to keep people safe. Beyond me.

So you really don’t understand why it might be upsetting to receive serious bad news stood in the street alone? Or have a pet PTS without you?

Or find it frustrating when you’ve got a dog who would be able to be treated better with you there?

Really?....

I don’t complain to the staff in my vets in anything other than a normal friendly chatty conversational way, because I do understand that it’s just what they’re having to do - but tbh if they thought I should just be grateful I’d consider changing vets.

Luckily they’re much more understanding than you.

I was able to go in with mine every visit since she started going in January. When she was put to sleep recently 3 of us plus the vet were present. They allowed us to unmask so we could kiss her. It was a bigger room than the consulting rooms though.

@Ladylimpet

No, I don't understand it. I'd just be grateful that they are getting treated tbh. Like most of our lovely clients seem to understand too. Why make it more difficult for people when we're trying to keep people safe. Beyond me.

The service is not the same and is worse having to stand outside and give clinical details to a vet shouting behind a mask in a car park or over a phone.

Like PP have mentioned, this is a paid for service and if anyone said to me I should be grateful I would take that service elsewhere.

Our vet has let us in throughout the pandemic. Only one person, and wearing a mask. But I know some people who STILL can’t go into their vets.

Ours is privately owned, vet lives above the premises. Maybe the larger more corporate ones are stricter

@Ladylimpet

No, I don't understand it. I'd just be grateful that they are getting treated tbh. Like most of our lovely clients seem to understand too. Why make it more difficult for people when we're trying to keep people safe. Beyond me.

Wow. I'm glad you're not my vet or rvn. Or are you simply just a troll?

Not a troll no. Just bemused at what people get upset about tbh.
We care for animals, and they're being cared for. Keeping everyone safe whilst doing so.
Just had a years worth of abuse. So probably patience is wearing thin for people complaining. We just have to get on with things don't we? We'll be trying to open up properly in a few weeks.
We're in a pandemic. We're far from normality. All surgeries will be different. Ours is very small. We all have to risk assess and do the best for everyone. Like I said before, quite a few members of staff haven't had one vaccine yet.
Hope you're kind to the staff. As we try to be to clients. Don't think it's been easy for anyone. 😊

Not a troll no. Just bemused at what people get upset about tbh.

You are bemused that people have had to hand over their terrified pets and have a difficult conversation in car parks?

I am usually on the side of the vet because I think they get a hard time but I honestly find your attitude to owners very dismissive and if I was faced with that in RL I wouldn't be going back.